How and why did humans begin to treat sick and injured animals? And how did those practices, and the associated attitudes, evolve from prehistory to the present day?
To answer these questions, Dr. Schott shares stories of 22 different animal healers and veterinarians from across eras and continents, examining the always fascinating, often unexpected, and sometimes hilarious veterinary methods employed by these people and their colleagues. But at the heart of the tale lies the evolution of the human-animal bond, which has been more cyclical than linear. In many ways, we are returning to the outlook of our distant ancestors after a centuries-long detour through a more utilitarian approach.
James Herriot will be familiar to many people, but most of the other featured vets will be new. They range from Palakapya, who treated fighting elephants in India almost 3,000 years ago, to Dr. Louis Camuti, who had the first feline house call practice anywhere, tending to the cats of celebrities in mid-20th-century Manhattan. Along the way, we see every kind of person trying to heal every kind of creature, from dogs, cows, horses, and cats to canaries, gorillas, and even dragons.
Whether you have a passion for animals, the history of the medical sciences, or just quirky history, this light-hearted exploration of the empathetic relationship between man and beast will entertain and delight. The history of veterinary medicine provides an abundance of bizarre, funny, surprising, and heartwarming anecdotes. Written in an engaging style and illustrating the evolution of the human-animal bond, Heal the Beasts chronicles human efforts to treat animal illnesses from 14,000 BCE to today. Includes photographs and illustrations.
Philipp Schott lives in Winnipeg, where he practices veterinary medicine, writes, and shares a creaky old house on the river with his wife, two kids, and one nutty cat. His first book, The Accidental Veterinarian, was a bestseller and was translated into five languages. Six other books have followed.
"Would you believe Canada's answer to James Herriot? Honestly, when was the last time you encountered an expert in treating sick or injured animals who could make words sing and dance? Winnipeg-based Philipp Schott is the real thing: a professional veterinarian who knows how to tell a story - how to meld anecdote, history, and personal voice into prancing entertainment. Heal the Beasts is a winner!" - Ken McGoogan, author of Searching for Franklin and Shadows of Tyranny
Sales and Market Bullets
• DIVE INTO THE CAPTIVATING WORLD OF VETERINARY MEDICINE: Written for both the general reader and fellow veterinarians, this book provides a unique perspective on the history of veterinary medicine, revealing how understanding our past helps us grasp the broader evolution of empathy and care in society. When we heal the beasts, we often heal something larger. It follows in the tradition of other "micro-histories," such as Salt: A World History (Mark Kurlansky), At Home: A Short History of Private Life (Bill Bryson), and Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (Mary Roach).
• A FUN, GIFTY, AND ADORABLE PACKAGE: Heal the Beasts is illustrated with paintings, historical documents, photographs, and line drawings, making it a beautiful giftable package for animal lovers and history buffs alike.
• FOR FANS OF ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL: Philipp Schott has all the humble charm of James Herriot's bestselling series and its adaptations. In a starred review for The Accidental Veterinarian, Booklist raved, "For all animal lovers, veterinary tales are always amusing, amazing, entertaining, and, once in a while, sad. Few books … approach the combination of fine writing, radical honesty, and endless optimism found in Winnipeg practitioner Schott's … Laugh until you cry - and believe, as he says, that all that really matters is that the heart of the pet
